Tabula Rasa
by Watercolour Stains
Summary: This is a RP FF by Bee and Liz. You may not know the characters, but it's from Snitchseeker. They are Hogwarts students. summary sucks...story's way better!


Julian Jacobs stepped off the Hogwarts Express, his trunk in tow behind him. He set it down on the ground gently, and settled himself upon it. He looked around for Neva Amos, the girl who would be accompanying him on his mission this summer. He was quite glad he finished the term out. It was fun, the ending feast. He yawned slightly. He was still tired from his nap on the Express; he wanted to be wide awake for their flight.

He grinned; he had passed his Apparation test, but he would be flying with Neva, since they both preferred flying anyways. He pulled out his wand and fiddled with it for a few moments, waiting for Neva to exit the train.

Neva Amos steps off of the Hogwarts express, her trunk floating carelessly behind her. She wasn't too worried about it bashing into the other students as they had annoyed her greatly. They had been their usual, rowdy selves. She couldn't quite recall the last time she had to counter so many bat bogey hexes in one day.

Looking around her, Neva spots Julian Jacobs. She would be accompanying him on his expedition. She felt rather like a star of the old Muggles movies, like Greta Garbo or Faye Wray. Her broom was tucked safely under her arm, garroting passing students trying to exit the train.

Neva walks over to Julian, a broad grin on her alabaster face. " Hi Julian" she beams. "I heard from a very reliable source that you had passed your apparition test. Congratulations hun!" she simpers, giving Julian a tight hug.

Julian stood up as he heard a bunch of angry shouts. He knew immediately who was coming. He shook his head. He was embraced in a tight hug, and he hugged her back, happy. "Thank you," he replied, after they pulled away. He smiled at her, noticing her broom in her possession. "I see you were able to retrieve your broom. That's good."

He turned away, and lifted up one end of his trunk. He turned his head to her and smiled, pocketing his wand. "Are you ready to go?" he asked. He wanted to get this over with as soon as possible. That way, he could get Neva back in time for school later that year, and he could spend the rest of his summer with her, relaxing.

Neva looks casually at her broom and smiles at Julian mischievously. "Aye. That I did. I received many a splinter climbing up into the rafters to retrieve it but I got it back." she smirks. It had been quite a feat. Her wand, for some unknown reason, had chosen that moment in time to refuse to enact the Accio charm. Perhaps the Broomshed was protected against spells? She supposed it must be, considering that the decrepit old shack was standing.

Neva turns around and hooks her broom onto the handle of her trunk, which is still floating smoothly behind her. "I'm ready" she replies, turning around and brushing a strand of stray air from her eyes.

Julian nodded, grinning. "And why did you have to go up into the rafters to retrieve it? Couldn't you just have asked the Quidditch instructor to get it for you? Or did you sneak in and get it?" he asked, smirking.

"Alright," he said. "Let's get going. You've said goodbye to your friends, right?" he asked, making sure that she did. He didn't want her to regret leaving with him, and not staying with either of them instead.

He cleared his throat and dragged his trunk behind him. "Alright," he said. "Let's get going." He left the train station, with her following him. Outside, he pulled her aside, and made sure to keep their trunks close by. "We'll drop off our trunks at my house, and then set off from there, alright?"

Neva smirks. "The Quidditch Professor was...indisposed, as it were, so I was forced to retrieve it myself. I would have sent Avalon, my Owl, to knock it down to me, but he was out hunting" she answers. She hitches her school bag over her shoulder, not having had room to place it in her trunk. "Yes. I've bid them adieu. I was offered a bed at Erinelle's but I gracefully declined." Neva explains. In fact, she had had offers from all of her friends. Her Uncle Remus had told her that, as she was of age, she could do as she pleased, although he was rather upset that she didn't wish to go 'home'.

Neva follows Julian out of the train station, not entirely sure where they were headed. Outside the station, she is pulled aside. "Yes. That's fine" she replies. She couldn't help but wonder who would be there to witness her abrupt appearance.

"You declined?" Julian repeated. Although he knew she'd been going with him, he was a bit surprised that she would pass up a perfectly normal summer to be with him. He appreciated it, sure, but he was still surprised. He didn't press the matter any further.

"Alright, so, we'll fly to my place, it's not too far from here, but it's too far to walk. Unless you want to Apparate," he suggested. His tone was no longer cheery. For now, he was all business. He wanted to get this over with, and soon too. "After that, we'll lay low for about a day or so. I want to go off to his place tonight to make sure that he's where Niky says he is. If what she told me is true, he's up in his room, at his own home. And it'll be quite easy to get us there, since I used to practically live there."

Neva thinks for a moment. "It would be easier for us to Apparate" she replies, feeling queasy at the mere mention. She knew that Julian wished to finish his task as fast as possible, and flying would take too long.

Neva listens as Julian runs her through the itinerary. She nods politely, taking it all in "in case he decides to surprise me with a pop quiz" she thinks to herself, although she is well aware that it is no matter to be joked about. Not showing any break in her composure, she replies. "Okay." She hadn't thought tracking him down would be that easy. She thinks that there must be a catch.

Julian nodded. "Alright, Apparation it is. It'll be quick," he promised, knowing how much she hated it. He smiled slightly at her quiet listening skills. He was grateful she didn't question him, but he hoped she knew that if she wasn't sure about something, she could question him.

He looked around, and pulled her and their trunks into an alleyway. "I don't want any Muggles to see us," he explained. He tied the trunks together, and pulled her close to him, wrapping an arm about her waist. "Well, here we go," he said, a bit apprehensive. This was it. As soon as they left, it would have begun.

Julian closed his eyes, and concentrated on his childhood home. They began to spin a few times, the deftly disappeared. They reappeared on the outskirts of London, in an apple field. He released Neva, and bewitched their trunks to follow behind him. He was glad he was now of age. He had just turned seventeen two weeks before school ended.

"Here we are," he said, looking around. "The Jacobs ranch." He sighed, this place brought back memories. This apple field, in particular. He remembered him and his sister running around, picking apples and eating them. "Well, then," he said hastily. "Let's get going." He seized Neva's hand, and they walked up to the house together.

Neva is dragged into an Alley way as Julian attempts to keep them from any passing Muggles' view. She closes her eyes tightly as Julian wraps an arm around her waist and proceeds to Apparate them both to his home.

Neva opens her eyes after the spinning ceases. She feels a little nauseous, so concentrates on her surroundings to distract her. She had never imagined Julian as a rancher. "Nice place you got here" she smiles, completely in awe of the apple orchard. She had pleaded with her uncle to plant at least a few fruit trees but he declined, not willing to put in the work to maintain them.

Neva walks behind Julian, albeit not by her own will, as he clasps a hand around hers and proceeds to the house. She quickens her pace, sensing the urgency of his voice.

Julian frowned as she commented on his home. "Yes, well, it's home," he said, not really wanting to talk right then. They walked up to the house, and he stopped. The trunks banged into him from behind, but he paid no mind. He was too busy staring up at his home.

"I haven't been back here since that day…" he whispered to her. Emotion filled his voice as he remembered. "I couldn't bear it…" He stared at the blue and white ranch house for just a few moments longer before releasing Neva's hand and hurrying up to the house. He unlocked it with his wand and disappeared inside. He hoped Neva would follow him.

Once inside, his breath caught in his throat. The smell…it smelled like his mother's perfume, and his father's cologne. His expression softened as he wandered from room to room, just exploring. The trunks' enchantment had long since faded, and they were settled in the entranceway.

Neva hears the emotion in Julian's voice and motions to place her hand onto his back in a comforting manner. She stops herself at the final moment, however, and drops her hand by her side. She casts her eyes upon the house before her. It was really a beautiful home. A perfect place for a family.

Neva follows Julian to the door and pauses. She can't help but think that she shouldn't be here. This was a private moment for Julian and she felt that she was encroaching upon it. She breathes in the stale air. A perfume was lingering, perhaps his mothers. It mingled with a cologne of a different nature and burned her nose slightly.

Neva ventures into the house cautiously. She could sense the ghosts of many happy days, of childrens' laughter and games. A sense that made her heart drop slightly. She lingers near the stairwell as Julian works his way through the house, refreshing his memory.

Julian wandered through the kitchen, and finally, back out into the entrance hall. Neva was there, and he blinked for a moment, surprised. "What…" he began, before he remembered. She was there, to help him. He smiled softly.

"Well, let's go," he said. "We can put our things in my room." He led her up the stairs and to the right.

After a few steps, Julian stopped in front of a room, and magically unlocked the door. He kicked it open, and dragged the trunks into the room. After he set them down, he looked around, smiling. "It hasn't changed," he said to Neva. He sat down on the large king-sized bed and continued to look around. The walls were painted in a dark blue, and the carpet was a brilliant, clean white. In one corner of the room, there was a collapsible cauldron, and a litter of old ingredients all around it. In another corner, an old Firebolt was abandoned. And on one entire wall was a bookcase, filled to the brim with numerous books of all shapes and sizes, all of many different titles.

Neva jumps slightly, awaken from her reverie by Julian re-entering the hallway. She looks up as he begins to speak, smirking slightly at his forgetfulness.

Neva lets Julian guide her up the stairs to his bedroom. She is quite curious as to how he chose to decorate his personal space. After he opens the door, she follows Julian in and proceeds to look around the room. She hadn't quite imagined Julian having a room so fresh and bold. She liked it however. She walks over to the wall of books, running her finger over the spines whilst cocking her head slightly to take in the titles. There were many titles that took her interest, but she had no time to air this as there was other work to be done. She made a mental note to borrow some of Julian's books once they were free for frivolity.

Neva turns around and walks over to her trunk. She opens it, removing a small vial of potion and placing it into her pocket. "Felix Felicis. Just in case" she smiles at Julian. They were going to need all the luck they could muster.

Julian watched her as she ran her finger over his many books. He smiled and waited patiently for her to finish. He sat up in interest as she dug through her trunk. "What…?" he began to say, but then nodded and smiled. "Felix Felicis," he said, impressed. "Where did you get that?"

He was a bit surprised that Neva would have that, and wondered briefly if she had taken it the day they met. Or if someone had slipped it into his own morning pumpkin juice that morning, so he'd meet her.

Neva smirks at Julian's reaction to the luck potion. "I brewed it before we left." she informs him. She didn't want to risk anything happening to either of them whilst they are bringing the Beast to justice.

"I have a few more vials at the bottom of my trunk if you think we may need them?" Neva informs him, also asking if they would require that much luck. She couldn't help but wonder if she had ingested with the potion before, specifically the day she had met Julian. Or perhaps the events since their meeting were the product of some wonderful spell. Either way, she hoped it wouldn't fade.

Neva picks herself up from her crouching position, stretching slightly. She had become rather warm since the start of their journey so she removed her cloak. She was wearing a pair of black, velvet trousers underneath and a purple, tight fitted, turtleneck sweater. She tied the cloak around her waist.

Julian grinned. "Resourceful, aren't we?" he asked. He thought for a moment when she asked if they should bring more. "I doubt we'd need more, but perhaps one more bottle would suffice." He sat up a little straighter on the bed and watched her remove her cloak. He remembered his was still on, so he removed his as well. He wore a pair of faded blue jeans, and a black sweater.

He got off the bed, and headed towards another door. It led into the bathroom. He opened it, and looked around inside. He didn't find what he was looking for, so he headed back into his room, and swiftly walked over to his closet. He opened the door, and walked inside. There was a few noises as he dug around, searching.

Julian stayed in the closet for a few more minutes, digging around. Suddenly, he let out a shout and pulled himself out of the mess he had just created. "I've got it!" he grinned, turning to Neva, and holding something up. It looked remotely like a multicolored cloak. "This will be of great use to us!"

Neva sticks her tongue out at Julian childishly. "Better organized than unprepared." She crouches back down and opens her trunk again. She wades through the contents of her trunk to the bottom where the vials were tucked in a small satin pouch. Books, a few self written spells that had all succeeded in turning her bed clothes into hairy toads and various clothing scattered haphazardly in their case. She removes another vial from the its pouch and places it in her pocket with its brother. She stands up to full height again, smoothing out her sweater absently.

Neva raises an eyebrow as Julian scatters the contents of his closet around his room carelessly. She holds out an arm and catches a bathrobe that was threatening to collide with her small frame. She folds it and places it neatly on his bed before looking up to see what Julian is holding out. Her eyes widen slightly. "Is that what I think it is?" she asks, hoping it was.

Julian nodded eagerly. "If you're thinking it's an invisibility cloak, then you're right." He headed over to Neva and wrapped the cloak around them both. "See?" he asked, his voice an empty shell. They were both gone, invisible.

After a moment, he pulled the cloak off of them, and handed it to Neva. "My father had given it to me. It was made specifically for him. Though, the reason, I can't tell you." He shrugged. "I've never found out why he had it made, but he gave it to me before my fifth year at Durmstrang. I didn't think I'd need it there, so I left it here. I'm glad it's still here."

He clapped his hands excitedly. "I also think we've got some silver downstairs in the kitchen. I could melt it with my wand, and we could make ourselves a pair of silver daggers." He wore an excited, almost disturbing smile on his face. He was thrilled that his plan was going to get put into action. He spun around a few times, as if looking for something else in the room. He couldn't think of anything else that might have been in his bedroom, so he turned to Neva excitedly.

Neva holds a hand out in front of her; at least she thinks it is in front of her. She marvels as the light beams through her hand as if it wasn't there. Her mother had owned an invisibility cloak when she was alive. Although after she died, her estate was divided between the family and Neva's cousin, Goddfrey, received the cloak. She still could not fathom as to why.

Neva breathes deeply as Julian removes the cloak from them. It was a good thing but rather stifling. She accepted the cloak from Julian and ran it through her fingers, in awe of its liquid like feeling. She was slightly amazed that it wasn't slipping through her fingers to the ground beneath her.

Neva bites her lip as Julian appears a little too thrilled by the prospect of creating weaponry. She herself was never much of a violent person, but could be when the occasion demanded. "That would be useful" she says, clutching at straws.

Julian smiled, his expression softening. He could tell that Neva was getting freaked out by the way he was acting. He calmed down. "Sorry…" he muttered. "I just never thought I was actually going to be able to do this. I'm just glad I'm going to be able to avenge my sister's death."

He blinked, and moved over to his nightstand. He bent down and picked up a picture. He raised his hand and motioned Neva to come over. "Here," he said, pointing to a young girl in the picture. "This was my sister, Kyra," he explained softly. The little girl had bouncing brown curls, and stunning chocolate eyes, like her brother. She wore a silver dress, and was held by Julian. In the picture, he was about 2 years younger, though he still looked the same now. "She was beautiful…"

Neva nods, understanding of his feelings. "It's okay. I understand that revenge can make one slightly giddy" she shrugs.

Neva watches Julian walk over to his night stand and follows him when he motions for her to walk over. She places a comforting hand on his shoulder as he shows her a picture of his sister, whose name she has discovered is Kyra. "She's very pretty" she simpers, smiling as the girls eyes seem to glitter in the photograph. "She looks a lot like you...albeit with longer hair and more feminine attributes" she digresses.

Julian smiled, nodding. "Yes…" he agreed. "She is…" He stared her face for a few more moments, before a fire ignited in his chest. He wanted this done. And he wanted it done now. "C'mon," he said, placing the picture back onto his nightstand, and turning on his heel. He walked over to his door. "I suggest you get what you need now, and I'll meet you in the kitchen."

He looked around once more, as if taking it all in, and struggling to remember. "I want to get this done as soon as possible. And the sooner we leave, the sooner it'll be over." He took a deep breath and exhaled.

"Once we're finished," Julian said. "You can either go back to Erinelle's place, like you said she offered, or you can come back here with me, and we can stay here the remainder of the summer. It's up to you."

Neva nods as Julian tells her to get her things together. She walks over to her trunk and opens it, dragging her bag over with her. She empties the contents of her bag into the trunk before removing what she required for the time being. She removes a purple notebook with a quill placed carefully inside to mark the page she required, a list of spells that would come in useful, a vial of undiluted bubotuber pus and a large vial of healing potion. She places them in her newly emptied bag and closes her trunk.

Neva stands up, placing her bag on her shoulder. "I want to get this over with as much as you do" she says seriously, listening as Julian suggests what she can do after their little task is completed. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it".

Julian had planned to meet her in the kitchen, but instead, he waited for her to pack what she needed. He noticed quite a few vials, but didn't question as to what they were. He smiled at her as she stood up. "Well, let's get downstairs. I don't think we have any food in the cupboards…since I haven't been back here for a year and a half, but we might have nonperishables in the store cabinets."

He waited until she was finished, and let her leave the room first. He closed the door behind him, and followed her downstairs. He was silent as they descended the stairwell.

When they reached the kitchen, Julian rummaged through the shelves for silverware to melt down and use to make daggers. He went through all of them, then turned to the counter, dumping a large pile of silverware onto it. "There," he said. "That's all the silver I could find in here."

Neva walks through the door as Julian makes way for her. "What a gentleman" she simpers, raising an eyebrow. She walks down the hallway to the stairs and descends them, her hand running across the banister casually.

Neva reaches the kitchen and places her bag onto the counter out of the way. As Julian rummages around for silverware, Neva opens the cupboard and pulls out an old cauldron. She places the cauldron on top of the sink, balancing between the two sides. "Incendio," she says quietly. Flames begin to lick the underside of the cauldron as they engorge inside the sink.

"It should be easier to melt the silverware now that we have something to do it in. Straight out spells are liable to make a mess" Neva informs Julian before tipping the silverware into the cauldron.

Julian watched Neva put all of the silverware into the cauldron. "Well, I'm glad my parents had something around here," he said gratefully, referring to the cauldron and the silverware. He watched the flames lick the side of the cauldron for a few minutes before turning away, and walking around the kitchen.

"I think I'm going to explore my house some more," he said. "This may take a while. Silver takes a while to melt." He shrugged, and exited out the door they had entered in. He stepped out into the entrance hall and looked around. He walked straight past the steps and entered the living room. He smiled softly, stepping up to the fireplace. He stood there for a while, gently touching the pictures of him and his family that were on the mantle.

Whilst Julian goes to explore his house some more, Neva decides to take a breath of fresh air as she is beginning to feel light headed. She walks out of the kitchen and opens the front door before stepping outside. She stands on the front porch, her arms crossed breathing deeply. Her eyes well with tears slightly as the memories of her own home, the one she would never be able to set foot in again, flood back because of her current environment. She breathes the tears back, not wanting Julian to see her cry. Her eyes scan the horizon for a few moments, the chilled wind teasing her hair absently.

Wiping her eyes with her sleeves, Neva turns on her heels and walks back into the house. She saunters back into the kitchen, her eyes a little redder than they had been before, and sits down at the kitchen table. She sits, listening to the fire crackle in the sink. Listening but not really hearing. She is far too consumed in thought for that.

Julian was lost in his own thoughts as he stared as his family's pictures. He glanced at the floor, and noticed that the blood of his sister was still there. Only, it was dried and crusted now. Tears, only a few, but tears filled his eyes and fell to the floor. His fingers curled into a fist and he growled softly. He would kill him. That was all there was to it. He'd kill the beast and get revenge for Kyra. His Kyra.

He still wore an angry expression on his face when he walked into the kitchen. He saw Neva sitting down at the table. He didn't even notice her eyes redder than when he had left the kitchen. He strode over to the cauldron, and gazed down into it. The silver was almost all melted. He sighed and slumped down into a chair next to Neva. He didn't say anything, but just stayed silent.

Neva looks up as Julian enters the room and walks over to the cauldron. She supposed the silver would be almost melted by now. She looks back down at her hands as Julian sits down beside her.

Leaving him to his thoughts, Neva gets up and walks out of the kitchen, knowing that Julian would inform her when the silver was ready. She opens the front door and sits down on the step of the porch, her head resting on her knees.

Julian barely glanced up when Neva left the room. He sighed softly when he heard the front door close. He wondered what she was thinking about. "Kyra…" he whispered, his thoughts turning back to his sister.

He stayed that way for a few more minutes before he heard a soft bubbling. He looked up and headed over to the cauldron. The silver was completely melted. He smiled softly, and sighed. He followed Neva outside and quietly opened the front door. He just stood there for a moment, watching her. He didn't want to disturb her, but knew he had to. After a while, he spoke. "The silver's melted," he said softly.

Neva awakes from her reverie as Julian opens the front door. There is a short silence before she looks up as he announces that the silver is ready. Sighing slightly before painting a cheery smile onto her alabaster face, she stands up. "Well I suppose we need to get the daggers ready" she announces, rubbing her hands together enthusiastically.

Neva lets Julian walk back inside whilst she walks through the door and closes it quietly behind her. She follows Julian back into the kitchen and goes to stand near the sink. Sure enough, the silver is bubbling away nicely in its cauldron.

Julian smiled softly. He could tell that her thoughts are disturbed, but he didn't press the matter. He figured she'd tell him about it when she was ready, just like he did with his family. He wondered if being back in a home was digging up old memories. He decided to hurry up, and get her out of there as soon as possible.

Julian pulled out his wand, and gently stirs the silver. "How do you propose we make the daggers? Shall I Transfigure something into a mold?" He smirked, knowing how good both of their Transfiguration skills were.

Neva looks sideways at Julian as he asks her about creating the daggers. "I'll make the moulds whilst you stir the silver to make sure it is lump free" she answers, still visibly distracted. She walks over to the cupboard she had found the cauldron in and opens it. After rummaging around she pulls out two rather tarnished steel baking trays. She stands up and places them onto the kitchen counter.

Neva pulls out her wand and points it at the trays. She casts a quick spell to transfigure them into moulds. The trays appear to melt in on themselves before forming into hollow half daggers.

Placing her wand back into her back pocket, Neva walks over to the moulds and picks them up. She walks back over to where Julian is stirring the cauldron and places the moulds next to the cauldron.

Julian nodded. He continued to stir the melted silver with his wand. He yawned audibly a few times whilst looking over his shoulder to see what Neva was doing. He frowned; she still looked distracted.

When she placed the molds next to the cauldron, he smiled. "Not bad work," he commented. He glanced at her once more out of the corner of his eye before deciding to un-distract her. He dumped the silver into the molds, and clamped them shut. He put them into the sink, and ran cold water over them. Turning back to Neva, he smiled. "There, it'll take a few minutes to cool."

He studied her for a few more moments, before swiftly pulling her into his arms and hugging her. "Are you alright," he asked. "You seem a bit distracted." He rested his chin on her head, and just stood there, holding her.

Neva sighs almost silently as she is enveloped in Julian's arms. "I'm alright. Really" she insists. "It's just... This environment. I never really had a family home like this. To be honest... I never really had a home. When I had my mother I didn't mind so much. Now that she has gone, as well as my father, it just seems as though I have lost my place." she confesses. She breathes deeply before braking free of Julian's embrace.

"Now that's enough of that" Neva says seriously. "We have bigger things to worry about". She didn't feel it the time or place to air her feelings, no matter how much she wished too. They had a task to complete and she was not about to distract Julian from it.

Julian frowned as he listened to Neva. He immediately felt guilty for bringing her here. He didn't say anything though; just let her mull her thoughts over.

He blinked in surprise as she broke away and focused on the task at hand. "Neva…" he said quietly. He suddenly realized what he was probably putting her through. He seized her hand. "Neva," he repeated. "You don't have to do this. I can see how this is killing you, being back here. You…you can go, if you want. I'm not going to force you to do this."

Neva looks at Julian pointedly as he takes her hand. "I said I shall do this with you and I am not about to go back on my word. Regardless of my feelings, it has to be done. For my peace of mind as well as your own." Besides, she had nowhere else to be. She had lied about her offers of a place to stay. In truth, Erinelle had announced, the moment Neva was about to ask if she could perhaps pay for the summers board, that she would be leaving for France. Her other friends had simply brushed the matter aside. It was either continuing with Julian or sleeping under the stars for the summer.

Neva pulls her hand free from Julian's grasp and turns on her heel. She walks over to the moulds and pries them open gently. Inside are two perfectly formed daggers. She flips them in her hands nonchalantly, their balance being in perfect equilibrium. "Perfect" she says quietly to herself.

Julian blinked as she walked over to the molds and takes out two daggers. He was glad it worked, but he was worried about Neva. He shook his head softly and followed Neva. He gently took one of the daggers out of her hands and looked it over.

"It's nice…" he said softly. "It'll work great." He stole another glance and wondered what was going on in her head. He spun the dagger around in his hand for a little while, then suddenly flung it across the room. It hit the door with a thud, and stuck. "Perfect," he repeated what Neva had said earlier, and walked over to the door. He took the dagger out of the door, and examined it. Not a scratch. Good. And the dagger was light, too. It would indeed work perfectly.

He studied Neva for a moment, and wondered if she was ready to leave yet. He didn't ask her, but let her examine her own dagger for a while.

Neva examines her own dagger as Julian takes his. She runs her finger over the shining metal. So beautiful...yet so deadly. She couldn't help but wonder about the damage this one inanimate object. She runs her finger over the sharp edges, pulling it back to her as it scratches her skin.

Neva looks at her bleeding finger, completely unfazed. She jumps as Julian throws his dagger into the wall. Turning around to see where the dagger had landed, she smiles slightly. "Well. I see no reason for us to stay" she says, taking hold of her bag from the kitchen counter and placing it on her shoulder.

Julian nodded. "Yes…I don't want to keep you here any longer than we have to." He didn't have any bags of his own, just his dagger, his wand, and his wit. He took out his wand, and transfigured a leather jacket that was left on kitchen chair into two holsters. He handed one to Neva, and deftly stepped out her way. He walked out of the kitchen and out the front door, knowing she'd follow. He knew he didn't have to worry about her.

**Hyde Vandacoot threw yet another book at the door. He couldn't believe he'd done that to his own father. Now he was in St. Mungo's. And his mother…couldn't even look at him without bursting into tears. He couldn't believe what he'd become. He wished someone would just take it all away…**

Neva takes the holster from Julian and places her dagger inside. She wraps the holster around her waist like a belt, tying it at the ends so it wouldn't fall off midway. She turns around and casts a quick spell to clear away the mess they ad created in the sink. The cauldron proceeded to clean itself and float back into the cupboard.

Neva turns on her heels and follows Julian out of the kitchen. She throws one last look at the home before following Julian out of the front door. She closes it with a soft creak.

Julian turned to Neva and looked at her pointedly. "Alright," he said. "Here's what we're going to do now. Since we've got the silver daggers, and Felix Felicis, and our wands, I think we'll be alright." He didn't voice the little thought nagging in the back of his mind. He swallowed and turned on his heel. He walked over to a small shed, and dug out an old broom. He turned back to Neva, holding it up. "We'll fly," he said. "That way, we'll be undetected when we arrive at his place." He didn't bother to remind her that werewolves had a keen sense of hearing and smell.

He mounted his broom, waited for Neva to mount hers as well, and then he kicked off. He flew around in a few circles for a minute or two, trying to remember how to fly. It'd been so long since he flew anywhere. "You ready?" he asked. "This is it. Once we start to fly, it's no going back."

Neva nods whilst Julian gives his little pep talk. She turns and walks towards the porch, having left her broom perched up against the stoop upon their entry. She takes the broom and turns around to face Julian. She walks over to him, her eyebrows furrowed upon remembering the Werewolves keen sense of hearing and smell. She doesn't air her concern however. She knew he would have thought about that little complication prior to his planning.

Neva mounts her broom and kicks off from the ground. She hovers in mid air as Julian flies around in circles. She looks on, bemused. _Must be getting the feel for it again _she thinks to herself, reassuring herself that he hadn't lost the plot slightly.

As Julian flies back towards her, she smiles weakly. "As ready as I'll ever be". She waits for Julian to lead the way; she was not sure where they were actually headed.

Julian nodded. He noticed how worried she was. He smiled at her slightly. "Don't worry," he reassured her. "If things get too nasty, we'll leave, as soon as possible." He flew over to her, and grasped her hand for a moment, squeezing it slightly, as if to reassure her a bit more.

He released her hand, and shot off into the night. He knew she'd follow him, and he didn't worry about losing her. They flew on for about a good two hours before it began to get truly dark. He furrowed his brow, and turned his head back to her. He didn't speak, for he knew she wouldn't be able to hear him. He looked down for a moment, then pointed to the ground with a hand. He was gesturing that they take a break for the night.

He flew down and touched the ground lightly. They were in a wizarding town, this he knew. He'd been in this town many times before and knew that two teenagers coming out of the sky on brooms wouldn't attract much attention. He waited until she caught her bearing, and then looked at her. "We should take a break for the night. Fly again in the morning. It's too late to fly anymore tonight."

He looked around and spotted an inn. "We can sleep there tonight. I know the innkeeper. She'll be sure to give us a discount," he explained.

Neva smiles as Julian takes her hand. "I know it will be fine. We have all the luck in the world" she beams, patting her trouser pocket. The small vials of Felix Felicis rattle lightly.

Neva follows as Julian takes off into the distance. Her cloak, which she had tied around her waist, whips violently in the brisk wind. She notices Julian turn his head but she doesn't respond as the wind was too loud to carry the sound of her small voice. She nods as he gestures to the ground and follows him in his descent.

Neva touches down on the ground with a soft thud. She takes her broom in her hand and holds it by her side. "It's too dark anyways. We wouldn't want to end up in the wrong town" she giggles lightly. She smiles as Julian suggests they should stay at the inn. She was feeling rather tired. Their visit to Julian's old home had taken a lot out of her.

Julian nodded. "Yeah, that's exactly what I was thinking of." He led her over to the inn, and held the door open for her, letting her enter first. Once they were both inside, he headed over to the woman standing behind the counter. The woman wore an odd looking uniform. It was navy blue, and had the symbol of the inn, a hawk, on the left breast. On the right breast was a nametag, reading "Reira."

"Reira," he drawled sweetly. "How nice to see you again." The woman glared at him for a moment.

"What do you want, Jacobs?" she barked. Her ice blue eyes bore holes through Julian. He didn't falter though. Not once. He laid on the charm, not even glancing at Neva. He had to put up the right façade if they were to get a room here. He grasped the woman's hand and kissed it lightly.

"Reira," he crooned softly. "Why so hostile? Do you really want to turn away a faithful customer?" He batted his brown eyes at her. He really didn't like doing this; it wasn't his style, but he had to, in order to get a room at half-price. This place was really expensive, but it was only inn in the town.

"I don't care, Jacobs. I really don't care how much money I lose if I turn you away. Get out of my inn," Reira growled. She didn't want him in here at all, but he did have a point. She glanced at the girl with him. Two customers…she faltered for a moment then sighed, really ticked off now. "Fine, Jacobs. Two rooms, right?" She smirked, knowing he wouldn't be able to afford that.

Julian shook his head. "No," he said, sickly sweet. "_One_ room. You know I can't afford two rooms. Unless…" He wagged his eyebrows suggestively. Reira gasped, and smacked Julian's hand away.

"You pervert!" she barked. "One room, one price! Take it or leave it!" She accepted Julian's money, and handed him a room key. "Now leave me and my other guests alone, you pig."

Julian frowned, and snatched the key out of her hand. "I didn't mean that, you hag…no way in hell I'd screw you for a room…" he muttered. He turned back to Neva. "Got it. One room's alright?" he asked, his mood slightly soured now.

Neva walks through the door to the Inn, smiling curtly at Julian as he lets her enter first. She hovers near the door as Julian walks over to the landlady. Playing with the hem of her sweater, she pretends not to notice Julian's rather odious advances. She knew that he had to 'butter her up' as it were, in order to get a room. The Inn was very expensive for such an out of the way place. She smirks slightly at its own delusions of grandeur.

Neva blushes slightly as she feels the landlady's eyes bore into her very skin. She looks at her pointedly, not wanting to convey how utterly exposed she was feeling. She jumps slightly as the lady's voice raises in hostility. She is fully expecting Julian to be slapped around the face. Luckily, the slap never comes. She simply bats his hand away.

"One room is fine" Neva replies to Julian, her eyes focusing on the Landlady's for a moment before shifting back to Julian.

Julian nodded. "C'mon," he said, a bit bitterly. "Let's get going." He seized her hand and dragged her off to their room. Before he left though, Reira stopped him.

"Oy, Jacobs!" she called. Julian turned his head, not releasing Neva's hand. He narrowed his eyes.

"What?" he barked, not in the mood to talk to the woman. Reira bristled and drew herself up.

"Come back down later, when it's empty. I want to talk to you," she said, with as much, if not more hostility in her voice than him.

"Fine," he barked right back at her. He continued to pull Neva back to their room. He unlocked it and let her enter first. After they were both in, he turned around and locked the door. He tossed the key on the bedside table and threw himself onto one of the queen-sized beds. He looked around. "Damn…she always gives me the same room…" he muttered. His eyes fell on a gash in the ceiling and he smirked, remembering what he had done. _Guess she never got that fixed,_ he thought, his mood lightening up a bit. He sat up and looked at Neva. "Sorry about that…" he muttered, referring to what had aspired in the tavern part of the inn.

Neva allows Julian to take the lead; his hand squeezing her's rather tightly. She is a little alarmed by his reaction but says nothing. His mood must have its reasons. She turns as the Landlady calls back to Julian, her hand twisting rather unpleasantly in his as he turns. She can't help but wonder what she could want with him.

Neva turns and follows Julian to the doorway of their room. She waits for Julian to unlock it before she saunters inside. She cocks an eyebrow as Julian jumps onto one of the beds. Walking over to her own bed, she removes the robe that had been tied around her waist and places it onto a chair by the window. She walks over to the bed and sits down silently.

"It's okay" Neva replies to him quietly, still rather unnerved. She leans back on the bed, her elbows propping her up. Sighing slightly, she gets up. She didn't feel like lying down at the moment. She had too much adrenaline pumping through her veins from the flight. Walking over to the window, she opens it and lets the breeze sweep into the room. She breathes the night air in deeply, suddenly feeling very awake.

Julian watched her. She still looked distracted. He furrowed his brow and sat up. "You alright?" he asked her. "You've been rather quiet lately." He wondered what was going on through her head. He laid his head back on the pillow as he stared sullenly at the ceiling.

Suddenly, Reira's image flashed into his mind. He frowned, wondering what that old hag wanted with him. Perhaps she knew something about…nah…only Neva and Noel knew about that. There was no way she'd know. He suddenly sat up and edged off the bed. "I'll be back," he said. "I'm going to go see what that hag wanted with me."

He glanced at Neva, and deciding she'd be okay in the room by herself, he unlocked the door and left the room, making his way back out to the tavern.

Neva carries on taking in the horizon as she replies to Julian. "I'm fine. Honestly." She rests her elbows on the window sill as she looks at the stars abscently. She looks back as Julian pipes up. "I'm sure it's nothing too taxing" she smirks, setting herself down in the seat she had placed her cloak onto.

When she is sure that Julian has left the room, Neva removes from her pocket the object she had left in the room of requirement. She picks herself up from her seat and walks over to the conjoined bathroom. She walks in and closes the door behind her.

After a few moments, Neva walks out of the room, her sleeves stretched over her arms. She walks back over to where her cloak is resting and places the object back inside the cloak. She walks over to her bed and sits in the middle, hugging a pillow absently.

Julian sighed as he walked out into the tavern. The room was empty except for a few drunken men. He walked over to Reira, who was now at the bar, and sat on a stool. "Firewhiskey, please," he said quietly.

Reira looked at him and nodded. She filled up a glass and handed it to him. "You're little girlfriend staying in the room?" she asked, a bit nicer than before.

Julian nodded silently, sipping his Firewhiskey. He stared into its depths and wondered why she was so…odd…all of a sudden. He tried to push the thought out of his mind, but it kept a strong hold on Neva's face. He sincerely hoped she was alright. He wished he could do something to help.

"Good," Reira said. She looked around for a moment, then leaned in close. "Listen, first off, I'm sorry about your family. It's a real shame."

Julian's head snapped up. "How did you find out about that!" he hissed. Then he shook his head. "No, don't tell me. I don't want to know."

Reira nodded and continued on. "He's changed courses," she said softly. "That werewolf of yours. I could tell the moment he came in here what he was. He had that look to him. Vandacoot, right?" she asked.

Julian nodded. "Yeah, that's him." He chuckled bitterly. "So, he's not at home anymore, is he?" he questioned. "Just like him. He never was one to stay in one place for too long." He sighed heavily and wondered where he was now.

"He's not in this town anymore," Reira said, glancing at him, and refilling his now-empty Firewhiskey glass. "I don't know where he's gone, but I just thought that if you came through here, I'd tell you, so you didn't get to his place and then find out he's gone." She looked at him, a mixture of sympathy and pity on her face. She grasped his hand, linking her fingers with his and squeezed gently. She wasn't an old woman; in fact, she was relatively young. "You'll find him, Julian," she said softly. "I know you will."

Neva gets up off of her bed and potters around the room. She wished that she had had the foresight to bring her guitar. She hadn't known that she would be having a large amount of time to her own thoughts, otherwise she would have done. She glances around the room, trying to find something to pass the time. Finding nothing, she decides to take a bath.

Neva walks over to the bathroom, her wand in hand, and locks it behind her in case Julian should happen to walk back into the room. She runs the taps, her fingers skimming the water to make sure it was the correct temperature.

After a while, Neva unlocks the door. She has used a drought charm to dry her hair, as she didn't wish to catch a cold. She walks over to the mirror in front of the sink and wipes away the condensation. She studies herself for a few moments before turning around and walking out of the bathroom door.

Neva closes the door behind her and walks over to a chair. She sits down and crosses her legs, awaiting Julian's return.

Julian continued to listen to Reira, and her accounts on her encounter with Hyde. He had had about four Firewhiskeys when Reira walked out from behind the counter and steadied him on her arm.

She wrapped her arm around his waist and grasped his hand. She shook her head, and led him back to his room. She briefly knocked on the door before just opening it, and dumping Julian on the nearest bed. "He's drunk," she muttered to the girl in the room. "You take care of him." She walked out of the room and shut the door behind her.

Julian frowned. Sure he was drunk, but not like those idiots outside. It was just a light buzz. He yawned once and sat up, staring at Neva. She looked different. "You get in the shower?" he asked, a bit confused. "Sorry…I was listening to when Reira was telling me about Hyde, and I sort of drank too much. I don't do this often," he explained, somewhat desperate for her to understand that he truly wasn't like that.

Neva frowns slightly as the Landlady dumps Julian onto his bed. She didn't much care for her tone. "Drunk huh?" she asks herself, raising an eyebrow. She stands up and walks over to Julian's bed. She perches on the edge, looking at her apparently inebriated friend.

"I had a bath whilst you were, ah, enjoying advantages of being at a drinking establishment." She looks at Julian, rather bemused. "It's okay. You don't have to explain yourself to me. Lord knows I've had my moments when I haven't kept track of my whiskey ingestion." she chuckles lightly. She wasn't one to forsake her brain cells for a bitter tasting beverage, and she knew that Julian wasn't like that either.

Julian smiled slightly at Neva. He was glad she wasn't too angry with him. He swallowed, regretting having that fourth Firewhiskey. "So…" he began, his voice rough and hollow. "Hyde, he's not at his house anymore. He's gone. Reira told me that he came here about a week ago."

His eyes closed for a moment, and he nodded off. After a minute, he started, and his eyes flew open. He stared at Neva, wondering what she was doing there, then remembered that he was drunk. "Unh…I feel horrible…" he groaned.

"Well we'll just have to find him, won't we! I can't imagine his trail of destruction would be that hard to follow," Neva responds. She knew full well that by the morning he would have no recollection of the conversation so felt no need to add anything totally profound and life changing.

Neva rolls her eyes as Julian nods off. She leans over to check if he is fully asleep when he starts. "Yes. You would feel horrible. Now get some sleep" she suggests. Neva stands up and walks over to the head of Julian's bed. She pulls back the bed clothes, making sure there is enough room for Julian to slip in. She walks back to Julian and, knowing she wouldn't have the strength to lift him, dragged him to the clear area on the bed. She pulls the bedclothes back over him and kisses the top of his head. "Try to get some sleep. I'm going to run out and get some healing potion from the alchemists. It's open twenty four seven apparently".

Neva walks away from Julian's bed to the door. She glances back at him before walking through it, closing it quietly behind her. She walks down the hall and down the stairs to the Inn. As she walks through the packed pub, she can feel the Landlady's eyes bore into her. Paying no heed, she walks through the door into the empty street.

Neva shivers slightly as the wind teases her hair. She sorely regretted not bringing her cloak with her, but having no mind to go back into the Landlady's gaze, she makes her way to the alchemists.

Neva pushes the door open and walks inside, a sudden blast of hot air taking her by surprise. All around her, potions are bubbling and popping. She makes her way over to the counter, located in a dusty, far off corner.

"Ah. My dear. How may I be of service to you this fine evening?" the shopkeeper asks, sounding rather seedy and unsavory. Neva jumps slightly, not having realized that somebody was behind the counter. "I..erm...have a friend who is suffering rather badly from too much Firewhiskey. Do you happen to have a healing potion that would relieve his symptoms?" she asks, somewhat uneasy. "Oh I have plenty my dear" he replies, placing a hand on Neva's arm. She recoils, disgusted by the man's behavior. He sneers at her before walking through a door at the back of the store. He appears momentarily with a vial of healing potion. He hands the vial to her before leaning in closer. Neva can feel his breath burning her face. His odious, rank breath. "Think of it as a freebie." He says breathily, his lips brushing against Neva's. Coming to her senses, Neva slaps the shopkeeper before running out of the store, amidst shouts of seething anger.

Shaking slightly, Neva runs along the street back to the Inn. She opens the door quickly and walks swiftly through the pub. She is aware that all conversation ha stopped at her arrival but she doesn't care. She just wishes to go back to her room with Julian. She walks up the stairs and heads to their room, closing the door behind her. She places the vial onto Julian's bed side table and perches onto her own bed.

Julian stirred when Neva opened the door and entered. He sat up, groggy. "Where were you?" he asked, holding a hand to his head. His eyes were unfocused, and he didn't look well at all. The Firewhiskey obviously didn't sit too well with him.

He stared at her, slowly coming to his senses. The alcohol was slowly wearing off, and though he didn't look well, he was feeling better. He edged off his bed and walked over to hers. "You alright?" he asked. He noticed the vial of healing potion on his nightstand. "Did something happen?" he asked, worried that she had gotten hurt. That potion definitely was _not_ there when he'd passed out. He appreciated that she'd gotten it, but he'd feel guilty if something happened to her out there. This wasn't a very savory town. There were a lot of suspicious characters lurking around.

Neva looks up as Julian stirs. She hadn't expected him to be awake for hours. "I was at the alchemists. You must have fallen asleep again when I told you where I was going" she says quietly, trying to appease his headache. She knew that there was nothing worse than loud noises whilst nursing a head ache.

She jumps up as Julian makes an unsteady advance towards her bed. She places her hands around his shoulders and guides him to her bed, sitting him down gently. She walks over to his bedside table and removes the vial of healing potion. Walking back to her bed, she replies to his query. "Oh I'm fine." she lies. What had happened in the alchemists was unimportant. Although it had rather uncoiled her senses slightly. "Just fair warning to you. Never visit the alchemists alone. The shopkeeper is rather loose tongued and uninhibited." she advises. She knew that he would be safe if he paid the man a visit, she just wanted to make sure he knew. She wouldn't want an attack on her conscience.

Neva sits down beside Julian on her bed, the vial in her hand. She holds out the potion before him. "Now take this hun. You'll feel better afterwards" she beams. He did look rather pale and pained.

"Alchemists?" Julian repeated. He vaguely remembered her saying something about it, but didn't remember much.

He allowed himself to get pushed back to his bed and he frowned. "Alright, I didn't have plans to visit it anyways…" he murmured. He looked up at her and smiled. "I appreciate this, Neva, I really do." He took the vial from her and downed it in one gulp. "Thanks. And, I promise, I won't be like this in the morning…and I won't be drinking Firewhiskey again any time soon."

He chuckled, and laid his head down on the pillow. "I'm going to get some sleep now," he whispered. "You should do the same." He smiled at her once more and closed his eyes. "Goodnight, love," he whispered, falling into a dreamless sleep.

Neva smirks. "I don't suppose you would be that reckless again". She watches as Julian settles himself into bed. She didn't feel much like sleeping, in all honesty, but didn't retort Julian's comment. She is taken aback as Julian calls her love._ Love? He must be slightly delirious. He couldn't think of me as his love...could he?_ She whispers back to him as he falls back to slumber "Goodnight my heart".

Not feeling very tired, Neva walks over to the door. She opens and closes it silently behind her. She walks down the hall quietly and walks down the steps to the pub. For the second time that evening, she walks through the pub to the door. Closing it behind her, she breathes deeply before walking down the cobbled street to the babbling brook surrounded by thick trees. She walks to the embankment and sits down, the water rippling and gurgling as it floated on by. She lies down on her back, her arms folded behind her head, contemplating. She didn't think of anything particular. She thought of everything yet nothing. Her recollections and thoughts were a storm in her mind. A storm which had plagued her since her mother's passing.

Neva awakes from her reverie as the sun breaks through the horizon. She hadn't realized how long she had been settled near the river. With slightly feeble movements, she picks herself up. She turns on her heels and begins to walk up the cobbled street, back to the Inn. She reaches the front door and pushes it open quietly so as not to disturb the occupants within. She creeps through the silent pub to the stairs, climbing them stealthily to prevent the old wood from creaking. When she reaches the door to her and Julian's room, she pushes it open quietly a fraction and slips through the crack. After closing the door behind her, she walks over to the seat she had occupied the previous evening and makes herself comfortable, her legs tucked underneath her.

Julian slept through the night without as much as a stir. The potion that Neva had gotten for him really did wonders on the alcohol in his system. He yawned as the sun beat down on his face. He looked a lot better this morning. He groaned as he stepped out of the bed.

He didn't notice Neva sitting in a chair, as he thought she was in the other bed, sleeping. He didn't remember anything from the previous night except the potion he took. He entered the bathroom and turned the water on. He splashed a bit of water on his face and yawned. He groaned once more as he stripped down and turned the water on for his morning shower. He stood there for a moment, examining his naked body. The welt from the squid was now finally gone, thanks to that cream the nurse had given him. He turned and felt the water. It was just perfect. He stepped into the shower and let the steaming water just run over him. It was a great way to wake up. He didn't think about the task at hand just then. He didn't want to think, just revel in the water. He washed his hair, and body with the complimentary soaps that were in the shower and finished quickly.

He stepped out of the shower and dressed again. He shook his head, ridding himself of all the excess water. He opened the door to the bedroom and smiled, finally noticing Neva. "Good morning," he said kindly. He walked over to her, and pulled the other chair over to hers. He sat down across from her. "Have a good night?" he asked.

Neva sits listening to a rather melodic group of birds. She hums along quietly, not wishing to wake Julian. She needn't have bothered in muting herself, however, as Julian awoke momentarily. She watches him stagger into the bathroom, smiling to herself. _That potion must have worked wonders. He looks better already!_ she muses. She had taken quite a risk with the potion. She hadn't known what it would do, with the curiosity that was the alchemist it was rather suspect.

She stretches slightly in her chair. She had had no sleep that night yet felt thoroughly refreshed. Perhaps the adrenaline of continuing their journey kept her awake. She looks up as Julian walks out of the bathroom. "Morning" she beams. It was still very early, barely constituting a morning. She watches as Julian drags the remaining chair over to where hers was placed by the window. "Yes. It was rather enjoyable. I had a lovely, peaceful walk and a daydream by the river" she informs him. She knew that she had promised Julian that she would sleep but she felt no need to do so that evening.

Julian smiled at Neva. "Glad you had a good night," he said. "As you know, mine wasn't too productive." He smirked sheepishly and shrugged. He relaxed in his chair and looked out the window. The light of the sun shone brightly, and it looked to be a promising day.

He turned to her. "We can leave whenever you like," he said. For once, he wasn't in any rush. In fact, he wanted to stay in town and ask around. He didn't feel like getting up just yet. And, though he didn't really remember anything about last night's events after he got dumped onto the bed by Reira, he did remember Neva mentioning something about being careful if he went to the Alchemists' place. He frowned, wondering what had aspired there, and if she told him anything. He also wondered if he told her anything.

He glanced at her. "Hey, Neva…" he said quietly. "Did I…say anything to you last night?" He wanted to know, and wanted to apologize if he cussed her out or something.

Neva cocks her head to the side, a smirk on her alabaster face. "I would call your inhuman snoring productive" she smiles. He had made rather a racket, when she was in the room anyway. She didn't stick around long enough to catch the full orchestration.

Neva hooks a leg onto her chair and plays with her boot absently. She wasn't very used to wearing footwear and it felt kind of strange to her. She looks up when Julian mentions leaving. "Honey, it's your trip. I'm just a tag along. When you say we leave, we leave" she smiles. She wanted Julian to be comfortable leaving. She didn't want him to have to make allowances for her.

"You didn't say much last night, no" Neva smiles mischievously. "You only said 'Goodnight Love". She didn't know if Julian would thank her for telling him. She knew he would be embarrassed. His response pretty much solidified the matter. If he felt the way he had said, although she had dismissed it as delirium, then she reciprocated.

Julian's mouth dropped open, his breath caught in his throat. "I...I don't snore!" he said defensively. In truth, he had no idea if he snored. He just felt majorly embarrassed if he did. And, according to Neva, he did.

He smiled at her. "Alright, we'll leave later in the day. I want to find out where Hyde is first," he said. "Since, you know, he's gone now." He tapped his chin in thought for a moment, wondering where that beast could have gotten to.

Julian's head snapped up when she told him what he said. He immediately felt his face flush, and he looked away, standing up. He didn't look at her as he cleared his throat. "Oh...ahem..erm…" He didn't really know what to say; only that he was angry with himself for drinking the night away, and revealing his feelings in such a stupid way. "Yes…well," he dismissed the whole thing, not wanting to dwell on it anymore. He wanted to tell her how he felt, of course. But not here, not in this place. As much of a guy as he was, he wanted it to be romantic, sort of. Here…it was too shady, and…not right.

Neva giggles. "It wasn't that loud..." she tries to appease his embarrassment."Besides. What does it matter? Even the best of them snore on occasion. It may have just been a reaction to the situation". She had heard that stress could cause snoring. She thought that perhaps that was the case in this situation.

Neva nods as she is told they will be leaving later in the day. "Sounds fine to me. I do hope we find him soon." she confesses. She didn't want there to be a wild goose chase. That would deplete their readiness for a fight, should the need for strong defenses arise.

Neva is taken aback as Julian blushes upon her confession if what he had said to her the previous night. _Perhaps he doesn't feel the same way after all_. She thinks to herself, rather defeated. She stares at his back for a few moments, trying to think of something to say to alleviate the tension. Finding nothing, she turns to look out of the window.

Julian nodded. He didn't say anything, for his back was still turned to Neva's back, and he was biting his lip nervously. He wanted to tell her how he felt, he really did, but there were two things standing in his way. First, this mission. He wanted to finish it before he committed himself, and Neva to anything. And second…he didn't know how to tell her. He'd never really had a girlfriend. Oh, sure, he had girls he'd kissed and all, but they all confessed their love to him first. And he never really liked those girls as much as he liked Neva. He'd never really been able to express his feelings very well either. He was stuck both ways.

He snapped out of his thoughts and turned to Neva. "Erm…I was thinking…" he began. "We should explore this town, and see if any of the other people know where Hyde could be." He didn't look her in the eye though, he was still blushing furiously.

Neva looks up as Julian snaps out of his thought. She wondered what he could have been thinking about. It must have been something important as his eyebrows were still slightly furrowed. She smiles slightly when Julian suggests asking around the community, "That would be a good idea" she nods in agreement.

Neva stretches before standing up out of her increasingly cozy chair. She was beginning to regret missing an evening's sleep, although she knew she would feel energetic again once she breathed in the morning air. She leans over and takes her bag which had been swung carelessly behind the chair. She places it on her shoulder and takes her robe from the seat. "Okey dokey. Ready to go!" she beams.

Julian nodded and waited for her to get ready. "Alright," he said, having recovered from what had just happened. "I'll return the key to Reira and we'll get going." He checked the room once more to see if they left anything there. When he was satisfied, he nodded to himself and led Neva out of the room. He walked with her out to the bar and looked around for Reira. He spotted her at the welcome desk and he walked over to her. "Here you go," he said to her. She nodded, but didn't reply, and he walked over to the front door and allowed Neva to walk through first.

Once they were outside, he turned to her. "I think we should split up and ask around. We'd get finished quicker." He smiled at her. "Meet back in here in two hours." He gave her a reassuring nod, then head off in the opposite direction. He looked around, and immediately spotted a townsperson. He headed over to him.

"Excuse me, sir," he began. "I'm a traveler just passing through this town, and the innkeeper told me that she saw a friend of mine pass through here. His name's Hyde Vandacoot. Have you seen him?" The man shook his head. "Okay, thanks…"

Julian sighed, and continued on his way, searching throughout the town.

Neva follows Julian out of the room and into the bar. She watches as he returns their room key to the Landlady. Looking at her curiously, Neva can't help but notice the curious quietness between the two. From what she saw the previous evening, the lady couldn't keep herself from making snide remarks to Julian. She shrugs, thinking that the definite atmosphere must have something to do with their last conversation.

Neva turns and walks through the door, Julian in close pursuit. She nods in response as he asks her to grill the townspeople on her own. "Two hours it is!" she agrees. She turns on her heels and begins to saunter down the cobbled street, searching for somebody who seemed to know things. It didn't take her long before she came upon a wealthy looking woman in her twilight years. Smiling warmly, Neva walks over to her and begins to question her.

"Excuse me ma'am" Neva smiles politely. "I was wondering if you had seen a boy named Hyde Vandacoot around the area?" She cocks her head slightly, awaiting the woman's response. "What say?" the woman asks in a feeble, screeching voice, looking rather puzzled. Neva sighs inwardly. She doesn't have time for this. "I was wondering...if you had seen... a boy called Hyde" she asks slowly so that the lady would understand. "The tide? The tide doesn't come in for another two hours!" the old lady exclaims, somewhat bemused by the curious, foreign teenager. "Hyde, my dear, Hyde! Have you seen him?" Neva asks harshly, grimacing somewhat. "No need to get tetchy with me dear. Tour guides have no reason to be here. It's only a small village" the increasingly annoying old lady informs Neva.

Neva growls before turning on her heels and walking away, amidst tuts and mutters of "The youth today, they have no time for the old and enfeebled." She didn't know anything, that much was clear.

Julian sighed, frustrated. He had questioned as many as six people, and yet no one knew of Hyde's whereabouts. He was just about to give up and tell Neva they were stopping for the time being when he heard Hyde's name mentioned. His head snapped around and he squinted, looking at the pair who seemed to be arguing.

"What are you talking about?! That beast Vandacoot attacked my sheep!" A farmer was yelling angrily at a shoemaker. The shoemaker, however, was blue in the face, and it looked as though he was going to have a heart attack any time soon.

"He did not attack your sheep, you twit!" the shoemaker yelled, just as angry. "It was those bloody wolves! The boy is a wizard! What makes you say he'd attack a flock of sheep?!"

"Because he's a werewolf, you git!"

Julian sighed. He'd had enough of this. He walked up to the farmer and shoemaker tentatively and watched them argue for a moment more before intervening. "Excuse me?" he asked, acting like a timid boy.

"What?!" The farmer yelled out. He didn't appreciated being interrupted by this…teenager.

Julian frowned. "You were speaking about Hyde Vandacoot, were you not?" he asked. His big blue eyes looked up at them innocently. This was the time he praised himself for his acting skills.

The shoemaker nodded. "Yes," he said, a bit nicer than the farmer. "We were speaking of him. This…twit…seems to think that a mere wizarding boy attacked and killed four of his prized sheep."

The farmer cuffed the shoemaker on the head. "You idiot! I don't _think_ he killed my sheep, I know he did! I saw him transform right after he killed my fourth sheep. He stood over it, laughing like a freaking maniac! He was all bloody. I swear, it was him!"

Julian's eyes narrowed. Exactly how he saw his sister die. Hyde had been standing over her after he killed her. "Do you know where I can find him?" he asked quickly.

The shoemaker nodded. "He's not at his home anymore, but he visited here for a while. He's in an old shack outside of town. About five miles down. Why? You've got business with him?" he asked.

Julia nodded, excited now. "He's a friend of mine," he said hastily. "Thanks!" He waved at them, and left them to their bickering. He hurried down the road to tell Neva what he just found out.

Neva sighs, kicking her heels desperately on the curb. She had asked no less than eight people if they knew of Hyde. Not one of them was capable of giving her a straight answer. She seems to attract naught but the village idiot and his apostles. Sighing inwardly, she looks up to scan the road. She spies a young gentleman who looks like he may hold some knowledge.

Neva straightens up and walks over to the man. She beams at him, hoping he was in no mood like the one plaguing her last questionee. He had turned rather nasty at the mention of a Werewolf and threatened to attack her with a garden rake. She had quickly fled the scene.

"Excuse me sir! I was just wondering... well. I'm in a little bit of a dilemma. My acquaintance Hyde Vandacoot was supposed to meet me by the chocolate shop almost an hour ago" she explains, appearing as though she was a lost sheep. She had decided that simply asking was no good. Acting like a concerned friend was bound to draw pity at least. "I don't suppose you know where he would be, do you?" she asks, pleading slightly.

"Hyde Vandacoot ya say? Yar! I remember 'im. There wa' mention of 'im this very mornin'. If ah remember correctly, he 'ad attacked four er the farmer's sheep. If yer baying fer his blood, join the cue lassy".

Neva's eyes widen as the none too well spoken young gentleman tells her of his latest deed. "I assure you I have rather pressing business with him" she says, her voice hardening slightly. "I am well prepared to deal with him". She thinks of the many potions, including her Felix Felicis, which she had very wisely placed in her bag. She thanked herself for the foresight now.

"Well if ya mus' know. E's a' a shack none ta far frum 'ere. 'Bout five mile if a remember correctly." He ponders. His accent was starting too irk Neva slightly.

Neva, having heard enough, quickly thanks the young man and turns to head up the road. "Be careful Lassy!" He shouts after her rather urgently.

Neva's eyes widen as Julian comes running towards her. She runs to meet him halfway, eager to share her new found knowledge.

"Neva!" Julian called, waving his arm towards her. He hurried up to her and gasped, trying to catch his breath. "I…I know where Hyde is," he began. "He attacked four of the local farmer's prized sheep. Probably last night."

He looked excited, glad they had stopped at this particular town. He caught his breath, and placed his hands on his knees. He was exhausted from running all over town. Stupid townspeople. He was glad he heard those two bickering.

He glanced up at Neva, his hair a bit wet from his sweat. "He's in this immediate area!" he said excitedly.

Neva stops as Julian almost collides with her in excitement. She watches him struggle for breath for a moment, somewhat amused by his childlike glee. She listens intently as Julian tells her what the young gentleman had. She doesn't share this with him, however. She wanted him to bask in his moment.

As Julian places his hands on his knees, clearly exhausted, Neva pulls out her wand. She casts a quick pepping up charm on him so he would get a boost of energy for his upcoming task. She herself felt thoroughly hyped. The enthusiasm of the young gentleman had exhilarated her slightly. She felt more sure of their task, more sure that they were doing a good thing, than ever before.

"Well what are we waiting for?" Neva asks emphatically, smiling at Julian, "Let's go and kick some Werewolf behind" she smirks.

Julian smiled. "I can't believe he's here!" he exclaimed. It was incredible. "Neva…" he asked. "That potion you gave me last night…it didn't have Felix Felicis in it, did it?" He truly felt like he could accomplish anything today.

He didn't wait for her answer, but nodded a thanks for the pepper up Charm she placed on him. "Let's go," he said. "If we're lucky, we'll get this finished by tonight." He walked with her, not running, as he thought about his attack plan. He really didn't believe that he'd be able to defeat Hyde so early into their summer vacation. If they finished this tonight…then he could spend the rest of the summer with Neva, in peace. He couldn't wait.

Neva thinks for a moment. She thought that maybe if she lied and said that the potion contained Felix Felicis, he may feel lucky enough to complete his mission. She, however, is not given the chance to admit to anything. Julian cuts her off, perhaps in no real need to hear the truth.

Neva begins to walk alongside Julian at his slower pace. "I hope we do get it finished tonight. I couldn't bare another night of uncertainty" she says, folding her arms and watching her footsteps silently. She looks up, studying Julian's visage for a moment. His enthusiasm was really quite alarming. She couldn't remember a time when he had seemed so jovial.

Julian nodded. "I do too," he said. He glanced at her, excited. "Just think, if we finish this tonight, we'll be able to spend the rest of the summer the way _we_ want to." He smiled at her, then continued to walk, his pace quickening.

He knew he must have seemed a bit neurotic, acting happy about wanting to kill someone, but the truth was, he wasn't at all happy. He only kept up the façade to fool Neva. In truth, he didn't want to go through with this at all. Hyde had been his best friend since they'd been kids. And now…just to kill him in cold blood. It didn't seem right. But he had sworn to avenge his family. His sister. Kyla. His expression hardened as they walked along.

Neva smiles and nods in agreement. "I know some rather beautiful places to visit. I don't suppose you have ever Apparated to the top of the Golden gate bridge, have you" She asks, smirking. She knew that it wasn't usual to Apparate to such odd places but she couldn't resist.

Neva ponders for a moment. She turns and looks at Julian whilst keeping up her pace. "I know you feel guilty for doing such a thing to a good friend. You're doing him a favor. If we succeed tonight, his suffering his over. He will no longer be thought of as the incurable werewolf but rather a lost boy who has finally found his way... thanks to you." She hoped that her little speech would help to appease the inner turmoil within Julian. She knew that if it was her in his shoes, she would not have been able to keep up the façade as long as he has. She was secretly proud of him for it.

Neva carries on walking, her pace quickening slightly. She wanted to get this over and done with. Her better instincts were telling her to just turn and run in the opposite direction for as long as possible. She couldn't do that, however. Her stubbornness and need to do the right thing overcame her common sense.

Julian shook his head. "No, I can't say that I have," he said, grinning. "We'll have to do that after we're finished," he said, making a mental note to Apparate to the top of the Golden gate bridge.

Julian's head snapped to Neva as he heard her. Why was it that she could sense what he was thinking? She always could… He smiled softly and nodded. "Yes…" he said quietly. He took a deep breath and released it. What she said was right. He _was _a lost person. And Julian was just helping him. Sure, it was personal, but he'd also be doing Hyde a favor.

He continued walking with Neva for the remainder of the time in silence. He was wrapped up in his own thoughts before he suddenly realized he had almost passed the little shack that Hyde was rumored to be hidden in. He stopped in front of it, just staring at it in awe. "This is it…" he murmured.

Neva beams. "We definitely should. It's a gorgeous view. Although it is slightly windy up there" she confesses. The first time she had Apparated there, she had very nearly lost her balance due to the high winds. Luckily, her Quidditch practices had left her with a good sense of balance.

Neva walks with Julian, allowing him to continue in his reverie. She could tell by his facial express that she had made sense to him. Perhaps he was having second thoughts? _No_ she thinks to herself sternly. He would not. He was too set on revenge for that. Besides, it was very much too late to back out now.

Neva stops momentarily as Julian walks to a rather decrepit old shack. She follows him to the door. Taking a deep breath, she goes to push the door open. Thinking better of it, she pulls her hand back. "I think you should go first" she insists, somewhat nervously.

Julian nodded. "Yeah…" he said. "I'll go first." He swallowed nervously, and patted his holster to make sure his dagger was still there. He pulled out his wand, and pushed the door of the shack open.

They walked inside and Julian looked around. He didn't see anything; it was too dark. "Lumos…" he muttered, and his wand lit up the immediate area. The shack was in terrible condition. There was dirt, and wood, and piles of unknown, horrid-smelling…things. Julian wasn't sure he even wanted to know what they were. He swallowed again, and looked around. "Hyde?" he called tentatively. "You in here? It's me, Julian."

A rustle came from over to the right. Julian spun about, shielding Neva with his right hand. After all, he _was_ left-handed. His eyes widened as he saw the sight that was set out before him.

**Hyde Vandacoot, sixteen-year-old wizard, and werewolf, laid on the ground, a sheep pelt covered over him. He looked absolutely sickly as he flinched in the bright beam of Julian's wand. "Julian? Julian Jacobs?" he croaked. His voice was cracked, having not been used in so long. "That you?"**

Neva takes several deep breaths before following Julian into the shack. She walks in, the filth encrusted floorboards creaking as if they were about to give way at any moment. Her nose burned at the smell she was forced to presume was animal carcasses. She took out her wand in her right hand, whilst shielding her nose with her sleeve.

Neva squints in the darkness, scanning the area for an animate form. She is grateful that Julian casts the Lumos charm. She couldn't quite bring herself to speak as she was still growing used to the foul stench. She jumps slightly as a rustling noise is heard a little ahead. She steps back as Julian places a protective hand in front of her.

**Hyde shifted in his sheep pelt slightly, trying to glimpse Julian and a mystery girl whom he had never set eyes on before. "Who's the little bit?" he asks, squinting in the unwelcome light.**

Julian frowned at Hyde's demeanor. He seemed to have changed. "None of your business who she is," he snapped. He didn't want Hyde to know Neva. Otherwise…if he saw how much she meant to Julian, he'd do the same thing to her that he did to his beloved sister.

**Hyde glared at Julian, his attention snapping back to him. "Oh, really?" he asked. "I wonder what she's doing with a git like you," he croaked. He stood up, the pelt falling off of him, revealing his old Hogwarts uniform. It was ripped and bloodied, almost shredded at the sleeves.**

Julian growled, his grip on his wand tightening considerably. His knuckles were now white. "Shut up, you creep," he hissed. "Leave her out of this. It's between you and me. You're going to die, Hyde. Just like you murdered my family! My sister!" he bellowed. He was absolutely furious, and he couldn't believe how well he was restraining himself from just leaping on the beast and beating him.

Neva glares at Hyde, feeling patronized by his remark. _Little bit? Who does he think he's talking to?_ she wonders, furious. Her hand begins to grip her wand tighter as Julian jumps to her defense. She makes a mental note to thank him for being so chivalrous. Right now, she was rather appalled by the fallen student. Perhaps she was wrong about him being a lost boy.

**Hyde looks at the girl, licking his lips menacingly. "I wouldn't mind having a taste". He makes to lunge at her, only to frighten her. "Poor little lamb. Have you wandered off from the herd? Didn't your mother tell you to be afraid of the big bad wolf?" He asks, moving closer to her and speaking into her ear. He brushes her hair away from her neck and moves his mouth closer, scaring her into believing he would bite her. He would, but not for the moment. Instead, he licks her soft skin suggestively.**

Neva jumps as Hyde is about to lunge at her. She holds her wand out in front of her, prepared to scream any hexes she could remember at the slightest movement. This message fails to reach her limbs however as she stands, rooted to the spot. As Hyde saunters over to her and begins to taunt her like a lamb to the slaughter, she can feel his hot breath burn her neck.

"You have no right to bring my mother into this, you foul, loathsome urchin." Neva manages to splutter as his hand brushes her hair away from her neck. She can feel the bile rising as he licks her neck.

Julian let out a cry and shouted a spell. "Expelliarmus!" Hyde flew back, and slammed into the wall opposite them. "Leave her alone!" he growled. He turned to Neva. "Are you alright?" he asked, his voice low and menacing. He was really ticked off now. He waited for Neva's answer before turning back to Hyde. "You creep…you disgusting little…" he couldn't even finish his sentence. Before, he'd been regretting wanting to kill Hyde, but now…ooooh…now…he would do it. And relish the feeling. He couldn't bear to see Hyde touch Neva. Especially not like that. It disgusted him to no end.

**Hyde smirked suggestively at the girl. He was going to have fun with her. Perhaps he'd play with his food a bit before he finished her off. After all, since he attacked those sheep, the village had kept their young daughters behind closed doors. He couldn't even get a decent thrill.**

"You touch her again, Vandacoot," Julian snarled, "and you'll wish you'd never met me." His wand was clenched so hard in his hand that he feared it might break. He didn't release his grip though; it was taking him everything he had to not to just kill him then and there.

Neva slides to the side as Julian hexes Hyde. "Yes. I'm fine. I know better than to be affected by the likes of him!" she says, pure venom leaking at the thought of him touching her. She felt an urge to wash... repeatedly. As she turns to point her wand back at Hyde, she notices his look of pure lust on his face. It repulsed her.

**Hyde picked himself up from the ground, wiping his lip where it was bleeding lightly. He licked his finger, savoring the taste. He couldn't wait for his next meal. As Julian threatens him, Hyde pulls out his wand from his pocket. He looks at Julian squarely, as if he is about to hex him, before he turns to Neva and shouts "Expelliarmus!". He turns back to Julian. "Calm down. I didn't touch her. I'll save that little pleasure for later. Besides, I have a minor distraction to take care of" he says, his eyebrow raised in apparent amusement.**

Neva points her wand at Hyde, ready to hex if he threw a curse at Julian. She is taken aback as the curse flies not at him, but at her. She is raised into the air like a rag doll and flies back. She collides with the wall painfully, landing in a heap on the floorboards.

After a few moments, Neva stirs. She picks herself up off of the ground, clutching her head as it feels as though it is about to split open like a melon. She is aware of how abashed she looks but she doesn't care. Not for the ruffled robes, nor the blood seeping down her cheek from a cut below her right eye.

Neva takes hold of her wand from its resting place on the floor and aims it at Hyde. "Sectumsempra" she shouts.

**Hyde jumped backwards as the spell hit him squarely in the chest. He clutched at his breast as his chest began to split open as if being carved with a knife. He held his wand to the wound and muttered a counter curse. His chest began to heal itself, a sneer resounding on the Beast's face. "Now that wasn't very nice now was it?" he says, his lip curled.**

Julian snarled angrily as Hyde raised his wand towards him. His eyes narrowed as he watched Neva get blown away by the same exact spell he'd just used. He didn't rush to her, knowing Hyde would take his chance then, and kill him. He glanced back, and saw that she was bleeding. This really ticked him off.

"You creep…I said to leave her out of this." He advanced towards Hyde, discreetly slipping the silver dagger out of his holster. He smirked when Neva hexed him, but cursed, loudly, when Hyde muttered the counter curse. He'd always been good at those. He had to get his wand away from him.

**Hyde noticed the dagger, and smirked. "Stupid boy," he sneered. "A simple dagger will not kill me!" He shook his head. "Guess I'm going to have my treat a bit sooner than expected," he growled, elated. He glanced at Neva, not remotely caring if she was hurt. That blood though…it looked real good.**

Neva bites her lip and growls as Hyde casts the counter curse on her master work. She places her hand on her dagger, ready to strike if Julian fails to cause any damage to him.

**Hyde smirks when he spies yet another silver dagger. "Foolish... very foolish" he mutters. He strides over to the girl and sweeps her wand from her hand. "What does a pretty girl like you need a wand for when she can offer much more...ah...satisfying services" he simpers. He takes Neva by the neck and pulls her close to him. He plants an entirely lust free kiss on her lips before moving down to her neck. He sniffs it lightly. "Ah. Lavender. Just like mother used to wear". He places his lips on her neck and bites.**

Neva looks on as her wand flies towards Julian. She goes to grab hold of her knife but finds herself unable to reach it. Her stomach squeezes nastily as she fights the urge to throw up. She digs her nails into the back of the beast's neck as he kisses her tenderly. This is not happening! she thinks to herself as he moves towards her neck. She lets out an involuntary scream as he bites her in the neck.

With all the strength she can muster, Neva digs her nails into the beast's neck until she can feel blood trickle over her fingers. She removes her nails and pushes Hyde away from her before running for her wand. She lunges for it, screaming "Immobulus!"

Julian's eyes widened when he seized Neva and kissed her. "No!" he cried. He had just about lost it. This beast was going to die. _Now._ He lunged at Hyde, completely forgetting his wand, tossing it away. He almost forgot the dagger, but still kept hold to it. He didn't know why, but he wasn't thinking of revenge anymore. He was just angry, and jealous, that Hyde got to kiss Neva, and he didn't. And what was worse, he bit her!

**The girl's spell didn't even graze Hyde as he felt Julian smash into him. He groaned loudly as they both crashed to the floor. "Oy, you twit," Hyde screamed. "Get off me! I've got to finish what I've started!"**

Julian fought back tears of rage as he completely forgot the dagger, leaving it abandoned on the floor of the shack. Instead, he used his fists to pummel Hyde to a pulp. "How dare you!" he screamed, his face a mess of anger and distaste.

Still dazed by the wound on her neck, Neva watches in disbelief as Julian lunges for Hyde. She takes her dagger from where it lay discarded, ready to pounce. As Julian begins to pummel Hyde senseless, she can't shake the feeling that they may have already lost.

**Hyde laughs menacingly as his former friend begins to air his rage on him. "Is that all you've got?" He asks between blows. He could still taste Neva's blood and smell her sweet skin. He wanted more.**

Neva takes her wand now, having come to her senses more. She points it at the mess which is Julian and Hyde. _Oh please don't let me hit Julian_ she mutters. "Immobulus" she screams, more sure of herself and the spells effects. She watches in amusement as Hyde becomes stiff and lies on the floor, stock still.

**Hyde yelps like a kicked puppy as more blows reign upon him. He was not about to show weakness, however. "Fancy a cup of tea? I'm parched" he asks sarcastically. He knew indifference would affect Julian more than his pain. He hears the girl cast a spell, disinterested as he knows it won't work. He is taken aback, however, when it does. He feels his muscles become rigid, the paralysis taking over his whole body.**

Julian growled angrily as he continued to pummel him. Hyde's lip was now split, and he had bruises all over, but he wasn't showing any pain. This ticked Julian off more than anything. He looked to his left, and saw his dagger, abandoned. He seized it, still pummeling him with one hand, and growled ferociously. He was about to plunge the dagger into Hyde's heart when suddenly, he became immobilized. Julian rolled off of him and blinked at him. He glanced up at Neva, silent, and smiled slightly when her wand was pointed at him. "Nice work," he said hoarsely.

He began to stand up, but immediately crouched down. "Damn…" he muttered. "He got me…" Julian looked down, and noticed his own blood dripping onto the floor. He winced in pain and lifted up the remains of his wand arm's sleeve. The dagger fell to the floor with a loud clatter and he clutched his arm. Blood seeped out through the cracks in his fingers and he groaned. He walked over to Neva and stood beside her as he gazed down at Hyde. "I say we kill him now…" he groaned. He slumped against the wall and slid down. He'd lost more blood than he thought. He felt lightheaded and sick.

Neva watches as Julian pummels Hyde. _That's it. Make him suffer._ she thinks to herself. She didn't know what made her feel such animosity and disdain towards one person. Perhaps it was the deep, bleeding wound blemishing her neck. All she knew was that any sort of humanity in Hyde, no matter how little may be inside him, would be released after they did what they came here to do. She hoped that the beast would somehow find solace in its demise.

Neva is jolted from her reverie when Julian falls to the ground, clutching a badly bleeding arm. She holds out an arm to hold him steady as he ambles over to her. "Yes" Neva nods to Julian's statement. "Rather now than let him regain his movement. I don't want to be tainted any more" she hisses at the immobile form, shivering slightly. She drops down beside Julian as he collapses against the wall.

Neva pulls a vial from her pocket...Felix Felicis. "I think this is well overdue, don't you?" she states. She wasn't too sure why she hadn't suggested it before. Perhaps the impending situation clouded her judgment.

Julian nodded. "Neither do I…" he muttered viciously. He couldn't stand the fact that Hyde had touched Neva. He couldn't take his eyes off of Hyde. His feeling of revenge escalated higher than it ever had been in just that small moment. He turned his head and nodded. "Good idea," he said. "You take it." With his free hand, he pulled himself up off the floor and seized the dagger once more.

He walked slowly over to Hyde's shaking form and knelt down next to it. His eyes were blank and cold as he looked upon the face of his former best friend. He swallowed a large amount of bile that had formed in his throat. The stench was killing him.

**Hyde listened closely to what Julian and the girl were saying. Though he couldn't move, his senses were perfect. He could tell that Julian was badly injured, and the girl was still scared of him. He didn't say anything to them, but watched out of the corner of his eye as Julian picked up what he now realized to be a silver dagger. The only thing that could kill werewolves. Silver. He felt a sense of dread, and knew, right then and there, that he was going to die at the hands of Julian Jacobs. He closed his eyes and waited for the moment to come. Instead, he heard a thump and he looked up. Julian was kneeling beside him. "Go ahead, Jacobs. Do it," he hissed angrily. "You know you want to. Just remember, that if you kill me, it'll be on your conscience for the rest of your damned life. I promise you that."**

Julian shook his head fiercely, listening to Hyde. "Shut up!" he shouted. "Just shut up!" He swallowed more bile that had collected in his throat. He knew he had to do it. He had to go through it. If he didn't, more people, innocent lives, would be taken. He clenched the dagger in his injured arm and stared down at Hyde. "This is it, Hyde. I'm going to put you out of your misery. I'm sorry, but you deserve it. For what you did to my parents. My sister. Me…" he glanced at Neva, whose neck was still bleeding. "For what you did to Neva…" He took a deep breath and stared at Hyde, stared into his former friend's' eyes. "I'm sorry…" he whispered, almost inaudibly. "This…" he murmured, plunging the dagger into Hyde's heart, "is for my parents." His eyes were clenched shut as he imagined his parents finally being put to rest. "This…" he choked out, "is for my sister, Kyra." He plunged the dagger into him a little further. He sat there for a moment. "And this," he said, his voice stronger and louder now, "This is for Neva!" He dug the dagger into Hyde just a little more and Hyde's jerking movements ceased. It was over. Hyde Vandacoot, the cursed werewolf, was dead. Julian fell back against the floor, clutching his arm. The dagger laid in Hyde's chest, forgotten.

Neva nods as she stares at the vial. Removing the seal, she brings it close to her lips and swallows the golden liquid in one gulp. She felt afterwards that she would throw up at any moment, but removed her attention away from her unpleasant nausea. She holds her hands out a little way from Julian, to catch him should he fall as he gingerly stands up. She stands up herself, placing her dagger back inside its holster. This was something Julian had to do on his own.

Neva inches closer to the scene, watching with bated breath as it unfolds before her. She looks on, her heart breaking a little more with every word, as Julian tells Hyde of his imminent breath. She couldn't help but wonder.. why avenge her? She had brought herself into this. And she would do it again, willingly. Her eyes darken slightly as Julian plungers his dagger into Hyde, again and again.

Neva drops down beside him as he falls backwards in apparent pain. She reaches into her bag and removes a vial of what looks like toothpaste. In fact, on closer inspection, it is a healing paste. She opens the vial carefully and dips her fingers into it before spreading it lightly on his wound. Disregarding her own injuries, her head and neck being the worst of them, she places the vial back into her bag. She is aware that part of her face and neck are covered in blood but she takes no heed.

Neva says nothing throughout the healing, realizing that Julian needs the moment.

Julian didn't look at Neva as she applied healing paste to his wound. He sat up though, and sighed. He couldn't believe what he'd just done. He glanced at Hyde's lifeless body, and felt a terrible sense of overwhelming emotion. He sat there, stiff, as Neva tended to his wounds. He didn't get it. He was supposed to feel happy, fulfilled. Sure, he'd avenged his family, and his sister. And he even got his revenge for what Hyde had done to Neva. But why didn't he feel any better? Why did he feel so empty?

After Neva finished tending to his arm, he seized the rest of his shirt and pulled it off. He handed it to Neva for her neck. He couldn't bear to see her injured as well. He knew they'd get hurt on this…adventure…but he didn't count on Neva being bitten. He hoped she was alright. He stood up, a little unsteady, but he leaned against the wall. "Let's get out of here," he muttered. That was all he said on the matter. He couldn't stand the sight, or the stench. He hobbled over to the door, and held it open for Neva. Once she'd exited, he turned one last time and gazed down upon the beast who had killed his family. He'd finally gotten his revenge. After two years, he'd avenged his fallen family. Although he felt horrible, and sick to his stomach, he knew that Hyde was at peace, and for that, he felt himself become a bit of a better person.

Neva watches Julian study Hyde's lifeless form. She knew his emotions would be fraught. He had just killed his friend, who just happened to be the murderer of everyone he held dear. She accepts his shirt gratefully as he takes it off of his own back. She holds it against her neck as a makeshift tourniquet, in effort to stem the bleeding.

Neva stands up, her wand safely placed inside her holster, alongside the knife, and walks over to the door. Throwing one last look at what they had done, she walks through it. She stands on the outside, shivering slightly from the cold, and waits for Julian to follow her.

Julian closed and opened his eyes, and turned away from Hyde and what he'd just done. He left the shack, and let the door slam one what would eventually become just one chapter in his life. He didn't speak to Neva, didn't even acknowledge her, but just walked straight past her. His face was blank, his eyes cold and lifeless, but inside, his emotions were in turmoil. He couldn't yet begin to fathom what'd he'd done. He didn't know what was going to happen now, or the next day, or the day after that.

He walked on and on, back to the village. He knew Neva was following him; he could hear her footsteps behind him. He didn't even think about her, he only replayed what he'd done. He turned, and walked into the inn. Reira was there, and she was going to bark at him to pay for another night, but when they locked eyes, she stopped. He walked back to the room they stayed in the previous night, and unlocked it with his wand, which he'd picked up before he left. He walked in, and headed straight to the bathroom. He disappeared behind the door, and the lock clicked, barricading him from everything.

Neva watches Julian retreat from the shack, his mind obviously on other matters. He walks past her, not acknowledging her presence. After a moment of watching him walk away, she begins to walk slowly. She folds her arms, studying Julian's every movement. She wanted to just run up to him and tell him everything would be fine, but she knew it wouldn't. There was no going back for him now. He had taken a human (in part) life and would have to live with it. Neva just hopes that he can handle it.

Neva barely notices when they reach the Inn where they had stayed the previous evening. She follows Julian inside, closing the door behind her. She notices the Landlady give her a bewildered look as she walks through the crowded pub, drenched in stale blood. She walks up the stairs to the room silently and closes the door behind her. She pauses and watches as Julian locks himself in the bathroom.

Sighing heavily, Neva walks over to a cracked full length mirror situated next to a rather dusty looking closet. She studies her bloodied torso, her frazzled hair and her ripped clothes. Pulling her wand from her pocket, she points it at herself. After a few moments of desperate spell casting, she appears almost normal. Apart from the gaping wound on her neck. That would heal in time. It had stopped bleeding at least.

Placing her wand back into her pocket, she walks over to the bathroom door and sits down beside it, leaning against the wall. "Julian…sweetheart" she says quietly. "I know it's hurting and I can't begin to fathom how badly. It had to be done. You saved lives tonight. Hyde, if he were his true self, would have done the same should you have been in his boots. There is no telling who he could have hurt. You saved his life...He's not trapped inside that beast now because of what you did. You saved others from being attacked by the beast. Now you need to save your own. Live...for me. Please. Do me a favor. Save my life..." Neva's voice graduates into a whisper as her speech nears its end. Tears fall slowly down her cheeks, burning as they descend.

Julian had been scrubbing away fiercely at the congealed blood that was all over his body. He stopped when he heard Neva's soft voice speaking to him from outside the door. He turned off the water, and listened to her. His heart clenched when she finished. He pulled open the door slowly and looked down upon her. "Neva..." he whispered her name desperately. "What…what are you saying?" He still looked a mess, but his wound was gradually healing with the paste she had applied earlier. He didn't move from the doorframe, but just stared down at her. She knew what that bite meant. And from what Julian could see, it wasn't healing any time soon.

"No…" he whispered. He could almost tell what she was asking him to do, and he shook his head, refusing to do it. He wouldn't lose her as well, if that was she was asking. He stood there, his form stiff and straight. His hand clenched into a fist as his gaze moved from her to the mirror that hung above the beds. He could see how horrible he looked, and his expression. He looked like a wild animal. Like he'd just killed. Which, obviously, he did. "No…"

Neva looks up as Julian opens the bathroom door. Her tears have begun to fall faster, making her face appear a deep scarlet. She didn't want this. She wished she could have gone back in time and reacted quicker than she did. But she hadn't. She had been too repulsed by his apparent flirtation to realize what he was about to do.

Neva stands up from the floor shakily, her every strength focusing on not taking the silver dagger in her pocket and doing the deed herself. "I don't want to end up like that...Something to be reviled, fearful of. I couldn't bear the thought of taking a life. I want people to remember how I am now, not what I'm going to become" she manages to screech between sobs. "If there was some way... some cure then I wouldn't ask it of you. But there isn't" she whispers, walking over to her bed. She spins on her heels to face Julian. "You can't fix this!" she yells, her shaking hand pointed squarely at her bite wound.

In the back of her mind, Neva recalls the last vial of Felix Felicis tucked in her pocket. She didn't know that if taken in the right amount, it could help reverse bad luck. Inside the golden vial was a cure...

Julian just stared at her. He didn't even flinch when she screamed at him. He began to shake and he swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. "Neva…" he choked out. "I can't do it. I care too much for you." His voice was pain-filled, cracked. He shook his head, advancing towards her. "I don't…I can't." He flinched visibly when she pointed at her wound.

He continued to advance towards her, his body shaking. He shook his head firmly. "I won't do it," he said. "There are potions," he begged. "Please, don't make me do this." His eyes clouded over, tears blurring his vision. He stopped in front of her, and seized her by the shoulders. He pulled her close, hugging her tightly. He closed his eyes tightly, still shaking his head. "I can't kill the one I care most about," he whispered roughly.

Neva eyes widen as Julian mentions potions that could possibly help. "If there was anything we would have heard about it" she replies sardonically, her voice filled with disdain and dread for the humanity she would lose. She sobs quietly as Julian walks over to her and envelopes her in his arms. "Please help me...I don't want to become a monster. But I don't want to die either. Not if it means losing you" she cries into his shoulder. _"I thought of you as my mountain top. I thought of you as my peak. I thought of you as just about everything I had but couldn't keep"_ she sings softly.

Neva closes her eyes as hot tears fall from them, soaking Julian's back. She hadn't cried so much since she had lost her parents. "I feel like I'm losing everything all over again" she whispers, wrapping her arms around Julian, her hands folded on his neck.

Julian quietly calmed her by rubbing her back. "No," he whispered. "You aren't losing anything. You're going to come back to school with me in the fall. And you're going to be the same girl you were when you got off that train a few days ago." He swallowed, his heart clenched tightly. He couldn't let this happen to Neva. It was still early. Maybe the poison hadn't entered her system yet. "I won't let you die. I won't let you become anything…" he whispered. "Anything but mine…"

He pulled back from the embrace and dug through Neva's bag. "There was another vial of Felix Felicis…" he muttered. He looked up at her tear-streaked face. "Where is it? Maybe if we pour it on your wound…or if you drink it…it'll reverse the effects. I won't let this happen to you." Anyone could tell, by the look on his face, that he was determined to keep his promise to Neva.

Neva pulls back from Julian's tight embrace. Her heart had begun several violent somersaults as he spoke to her so tenderly. At that moment she made a promise to herself to fight, no matter what the outcome. If she had to spend her life taking potions and evading the moon, so be it. She would not become hate filled, blood lust engrained in her very skin. She was too stubborn for that. She wipes her eyes with the back of her sleeve, and flinches slightly as her wound clenched garishly.

Neva, upon hearing mention of the luck potion, delves into her pocket and pulls out a small vial. She looks at it, thoroughly unconvinced that one small vial of potion could undo so much damage. She looks up. Cold determination is etched on Julian's face. She couldn't give into the poison. She didn't want Julian to lose the last thing he could truly call his own. Looking back down at the potion, she sighs. She lifts a heavy hand and uncorks the vial, lifting it to her puffed, tear stained lips. She drinks it.

Julian watched her as she drank the potion. He could only hope the potion would work. He waited with bated breath. They waited, and waited and waited. "Come on…" he whispered urgently. He didn't look at Neva's face once, but only stared at the wound on her neck. He stepped closer to her, hoping he was right, begging the gods above that he was right.

He must have stood like that for the longest time before he let out a cry of joy. "It's worked!" he shouted. He seized Neva's hand and pulled her to the mirror. Indeed, the wound was beginning to heal. He didn't release her hand as he watched the bite cease to exist. It was bubbling, and white liquid, which Julian presumed to be the poison, was leaking out. He seized the bloodied shirt that he had given her, and wiped away the white liquid. When he was satisfied the wound was completely gone, he let out a whoop of joy and pulled Neva into a tight embrace. He looked down upon her, a truly happy smile on his face. "Neva…" he whispered. He leaned down and pulled her into a passionate kiss.

Neva sits on her bed and waits. She is waiting for any sign that she may be okay after all. She looks at Julian incredulously as he studies her wound. _This isn't going to work!_ she thinks to herself, her heart growing more despondent as the minutes tick by.

Neva starts as Julian whoops, as if his favorite Quidditch team had won. She looks at him, almost in disbelief. She wouldn't allow herself to believe that her wound was healing... it was too much of a lost cause. She places a tentative hand on her neck. Sure enough, her wound is beginning to heal. She beams as Julian leads her to the mirror. She squeezes his hand, hardly daring to believe her senses.

After having closed her eyes out of pure suspense, Neva opens an eye cautiously. She sees the poison leaking from her wound as though somebody had turned on a tap. She can't help but gag slightly as the wound begins to bubble. Thankfully, Julian takes his blood stained T-shirt and wipes away the ooze, leaving naught but a neat white scar in its place. She grins and practically jumps into Julian's arms as he pulls her into a hug. Smiling joyfully, she leans in to return his much wanted kiss.

Welcome to the first day of the rest of your life Neva! she thinks to herself, an aura of sheer ecstasy emitting from her. She had a place, a newly saved life and somebody who liked her for her...quirks and all.

Julian didn't break the kiss, but continued to hold her. He was so happy she was alright. Finally something was going right in this world. When they finally did break apart, he couldn't stop grinning at her. He noticed the scar on her neck, but thought it was a small price to pay for staying alive. He couldn't believe it worked. He didn't know how it did, but he didn't care in the slightest. He was just happy it worked, and that she was normal again.

"This is brilliant," he breathed, staring down at her, joy and happiness coursing through his veins. He didn't break their embrace, and he rested his hands on her waist. He was thrilled that the one thing, the one person, he'd learned to care for the most, was alive, and alright. He couldn't help but kiss her again, obviously ecstatic. He couldn't stop smiling.

Neva beams up at Julian. His obvious excitement, given by the fact that he refused to stop hugging and kissing her, filled her with a sense of well being. There was a moment, back in Hyde's shack, where she was convinced neither of them would make it out alive. She regretted having such a thought now. They were obviously so much more than fine.

Neva lays her head on Julian's shoulder, in awe of the entire situation. She knew that their troubles were far from over; she just couldn't bring herself to care. Not in the slightest.

After a long, almost all consuming embrace, Neva breaks away from Julian. "I asked you to save my life...and you did." she beams. Her faith in humanity had healed itself gradually ever since she had met Julian. Now she felt as though she could trust almost anybody. Apart from the obvious people.

Filled with an air of self assurance, she saunters over to her bed. For once in her life she actually feels tired. Perhaps all one needs is a little adventure to cure insomnia? She sits on her bed, feeling drawn into the fabric, and leans against the headboard.

Julian smiled softly at Neva. "I would never let you die," he said. He watched her as she walked over to her bed. He stood there for a moment, just watching. He was amazed at how she had overcome this. How she overcame this obstacle. He knew now that no one would ever be able to stand in her way again.

He walked over to his own bed and laid across it, spread-eagle. He was truly exhausted. From killing Hyde, to saving Neva. He knew he'd have a good night's sleep. He was truly happy with what they had accomplished that day. He sighed peacefully, and closed his eyes, both Neva's face, and his sister's in his dreams.

Neva stands up from her bed, stretching slightly. She turns around and pulls the covers back on her bed. After fluffing her pillows lightly, she climbs back into her bed. She pulls the bed clothes up to her shoulders and snuggles into the fabric.

As Neva's eyes become heavy, she sees a rather unwelcome image in her mind. In front of her, Pierre is professing his love for her. Neva can't help but laugh out loud at this. As if she would ever believe anything he told her again. She had never truly loved him. It was just a school girl crush that had gotten out of hand. She knew, however, that Julian was the real deal. Blowing her candle out, the one situated on her bedside table, a pool of wax wrapping itself around its base, she snuggles back into her pillow and falls asleep.


End file.
